Ejecting tool



Jan. 29, 1963 A JANSCH 3,075,283

EJEOTING TOOL Filed Dec. 30, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

ERNEST A. J ANSCH ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifi ce 3,075,283 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 3,075,283 EJECTING TOOL Ernest A. Jansch, Souderton, 'Pa., assignor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigall Filed Dec. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 862,977 2 Claims. (U. 29-206) This invention relates generally to tools and more particularly to a tool for ejecting a snap-on type fastening from an object.

One such type of fastening is an electrical contact pin having a resilient locking portion which snaps into place for locking the'contact pin to a multiple connector. Such connectors are generally constructed of a number of rows or columns of contact pins, with the rows and the contact pin in each row spaced closely together. It is sometimes required that one or more contact pins be removed from the multiple contact connector block, but because of the close spacing of the contact pins and their miniature size this becomes a tedious and time-consuming operation.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a tool which facilitates and simplifies the operation of removing a fastening from an object.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a tool for ejecting an electrical contact pin of the snapfastening type from a multiple contact connector.

In accordance with the above objects and first considered briefly in its broad aspects, the invention contemplates an improved tool having means for displacing the locking lug of a snap-on fastening from locking position and means for ejecting the locking lug portion of the fastening through the object to which the fastening is attached.

The invention will be more clearly understood when the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a pistol-grip type of tool constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the tool in initial operating position for ejecting an electrical contact pin;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged longitudinal sectional views showing successive conditions of the tool in the process of ejecting the electrical contact pin from a multi ple contact connector;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an ejector element.

Referring now to the drawings, a specific embodiment of the invention comprises a hand grip 10 and an outer or main barrel 12 secured thereto by means of a pin 14. The main barrel 12 (FIG. 2) is provided with a bore 16 and a rectangular aperture 18 (see also FIG. 5) which communicates with the bore 16. Slidably received in bore 16 is a secondary barrel 20 from which extend through the aperture 18 spring fingers 22 and 24. The spring fingers 22 and 24 are spaced apart to slidably accommodate the entrance therebetween of the resilient fiat or planar contact portion 26a of an electrical contact pin 26.

The secondary barrel 20 is formed with a bore 30 and a rectangular aperture 32 which communicates with the bore 30 and is coextensive or in line with the space 34 between the spring fingers 22 and 24. An ejector 36 comprises a plunger portion 38 slidable in bore 30 and in a bore 40 in the main barrel 12. Secured to and extending from the plunger 38 is an ejector rod 42 of rectangular cross-section which mates with and slidingly exalong line 55 tends through the aperture 32 and into the space 34. A

"22a and 24a.

compression spring 44 surrounds the ejector rod '42 and biases the plunger 38 outwardly of the main barrel 12 toward the hand grip 10. The ejector 36 is formed with a bifurcation 46 (FIG. 6) in which is freely received one end 48 of a trigger '50. The end 48 of the trigger 50 passes freely through a slot 52 in the main barrel 12 and is pivotally connected to the ejector 36 by means of a pin 54.

In the normal or non-operated condition of the tool, the spring fingers 22 and 24 extend out of'the forward or work app'lying end of the main barrel 12 to form jaw portions 22a and 24a. For removing the contact pin 26 from the multiple contact connector block 56, the jaws 22a and 24a are slipped over the flat or planar portion 26a of the contact pin 26 and the hand grip 10 pressed forwardly, or leftwardly as viewed in the drawings, until the ends of the jaws 22a and 24a abut the locking face 60 of the multiple contact connector block 56, as shown 'in FIG. 2. In this condition of the tool, a resilient looking lug 26b, which extends angularly from the flat portion 26a of the contact pin 26, is in the grip of the jaws v The hand grip 10 is then pressed further leftwardly causing the main barrel 12 to slide over the fingers'22 and 24 until its forward end face 62 abuts the locking face '60 thereby 'camming the jaws 22a and 24a toward each other to displace the locking lug 26b out of locking position and into the plane of the fiat portion 20a, as seen in FIG. 3. The pressure against the hand grip 10 is thereafter maintained to keep the end face 62 of the main barrel 12 against the locking face 60 and the trigger 50 then pulled, as shown in FIG. 4, causing the ejector 36 to move leftwardly until the ejector rod 42 pushes the contact pin 26 leftwardly until the locking lug 26b passes through the contact pin receiving aperture 66 in the connector block 56. The contact pin 26 is then free to he slipped out of the connector block.

From the above description it will now be seen that the invention provides a tool, preferably of the pistolgrip type, for removing a snap-on type of fastening from an object in a rapid and convenient manner.

While there has been disclosed a specific embodiment of the invention, it will readily occur to those skilled in the art that the invention may be constructed in a variety of sizes, shapes and modifications without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific device disclosed but only by the sub-joined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tool for removing an electrical contact pin from an opening in a multiple contact connector having a looking face, said contact pin having a locking lug engaging said locking face for securing the contact pin to said connector and having an elongated resilient contact portion extending from said locking lug, the combination comprising, a main barrel having an opening at its forward end, a secondary barrel slidably mounted within said main barrel, a plurality of elongated substantially straight flexible fingers connected to said secondary barrel and extending through said opening in said main barrel to an extended position, the extending portion of said fingers forming jaws adapted for gripping the locking lug portion of said contact pin and having external surfaces at least one of which diverges forwardly when the jaws are in gripping position, said main barrel being movable forwardly to press against said external surfaces for closing said jaws over said locking lug to displace it from locking position, said jaws being held in contact with said locking face when said main barrel is so moved, resilient means biasing said secondary barrel along said main barrel to move said fingers to said extended position, and an ejector rod slidable between said fingers relative jaws are closed together over said locking lug and in contact with said locking face, said fingers closely guiding said contact portion throughout its length against flexing movement when said ejector rod is pushing against said contact portion, and the ejecting movement of said ejector rod serving also to free said contact pin from the grip of said jaws.

2. An ejecting tool for removing an electrical contact pin from a multiple contact connector, said contact pin having a locking lug engaging a locking face of said connector and having an elongated resilient contact portion extending from said locking lug, said tool comprising, a tubular member having an open end, a pair of elongated substantially straight spring fingers slidably mounted in said tubular member with one of their ends projecting through said open end to a projected position, the projecting portions of said fingers being adapted for gripping said contact pin and said locking lug with the ends of said projecting portions contacting said locking face, said projecting portions having external surfaces at least one of which diverges forwardly toward said connector when the projecting portions are in gripping position, means mounting the other ends of said fingers in said tubular member with the fingers spaced apart for slidably receiving said contact portion, said tubular member being telescopically movable relative to said projecting portions to a press against said external surfaces for closing said projecting portions over said locking lug and said contact pin to displace said locking: lug from locking position as said tubular member contacts said locking face, resilient means biasing said mounting means toward said open end to move said fingers toward said projected position, an ejector rod slidable between said fingers for pushing against said contact portion for ejecting the locking lug portion of said contact pin through said connector, and a trigger for so sliding said ejector rod while said ends of said fingers and said tubular member are maintained in contact with said locking face, said fingers preventing said contact portion from flexing laterally when said ejector rod is pushing against said contact portion, and the ejecting movement of said ejector rod serving also to free said contact pin from the grip of said jaws.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. AN EJECTING TOOL FOR REMOVING AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT PIN FROM A MULTIPLE CONTACT CONNECTOR, SAID CONTACT PIN HAVING A LOCKING LUG ENGAGING A LOCKING FACE OF SAID CONNECTOR AND HAVING AN ELONGATED RESILIENT CONTACT PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID LOCKING LUG, SAID TOOL COMPRISING, A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN END, A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT SPRING FINGERS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER WITH ONE OF THEIR ENDS PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPEN END TO A PROJECTED POSITION, THE PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID FINGERS BEING ADAPTED FOR GRIPPING SAID CONTACT PIN AND SAID LOCKING LUG WITH THE END OF SAID PROJECTING PORTIONS CONTACTING SAID LOCKING FACE, SAID PROJECTING PORTIONS HAVING EXTERNAL SURFACES AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH DIVERGES FORWARDLY TOWARD SAID CONNECTOR WHEN THE PROJECTING PORTIONS ARE IN GRIPPING POSITION, MEANS MOUNTING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER WITH THE FINGERS SPACED APART FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID CONTACT PORTION, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING TELESCOPICALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID PROJECTING PORTIONS TO PRESS AGAINST SAID EXTERNAL SURFACES FOR CLOSING SAID PROJECTING PORTIONS OVER SAID LOCKING LUG AND SAID CONTACT PIN TO DISPLACE SAID LOCKING LUG FROM LOCKING POSITION AS 